Presser belt for firmly engaging articles with a conveyor

ABSTRACT

A presser belt for firmly pressing articles such as luggage against a belt conveyor, comprising a plurality of transverse elastic cables and a flexible concertina-folded band secured to the cables on the conveyor side and which can extend as the cables are stretched over conveyed articles, to prevent the cables catching on corners or edges of the articles. There may be another such band on the other side of the cables, the two bands being connected together to form tubular pockets for the cables.

United States Patent Chassang [451 Sept. 12, 1972 PRESSER BELT FOR FIRMLY ENGAGING ARTICLES WITH A CONVEYOR Nessim et a]. ..222/55 Primary Examiner-Evon C. Blunk Assistant Examiner-H. S. Lane Att0rneyStevens, Davis, Miller & Mosher [5 7] ABSTRACT A presser belt for firmly pressing articles such as lug gage against a belt conveyor, comprising a plurality of transverse elastic cables and a flexible concertinafolded band secured to the cables on the conveyor side and which can extend as the cables are stretched over conveyed articles, to prevent the cables catching on comers or edges of the articles. There may be another such band on the other side of the cables, the two bands being connected together to form tubular pockets for the cables.

8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PRESSER BELT FOR FIRMLY ENGAGING ARTICLES WITH A CONVEYOR This invention relates'to an elastic pressure belt'for firmly engaging with an endless conveyor the articles borne thereby. A presser-belt of this kind is used inter alia in cases in which the conveyor has parts other than horizontal, for instance vertical parts for raising or lowering the articles borne by the conveyor. In such cases the presser belt is arranged so that one of its'runs is parallel to a non-horizontal part of the conveyor.

In some known conveyors, an endless'presser belt comprises interlaced elastic filaments or cables, such as extensible rubber springs, disposed between two longitudinal edges maintained parallel to one another at a constant spacing and sufficiently flexible to runover rollers and form an endless belt. The edges can be chains which also serve to move the presser belt synchronously with the conveyor.- Known presser belts of this kind have a serious disadvantage; namely that projecting and pointed parts of the conveyed articles catch in the rubber springs, so there is a risk of light articles becoming caught up by the presser belt instead of staying on the conveyor at places where the latter diverges from the presser belt, while heavy articles may damage the presser belt by carrying away'the rubber springs.

It is anobject of the present invention to obviate this disadvantage.

According to the present invention, an endless elastic presser belt for firmly engaging with an endless conveyor the articles borne by the latter is so disposed in part of its path to be substantially parallel to part of the path of the conveyor, has elastic cross-members disposed between two longitudinal edges maintained parallel to one another at a constant spacing, and also comprises a flexible band secured to the elastic crossmembers on the side facing the conveyor.

' The flexible band prevents the conveyed articles from catching in the elastic cross-members. 1

Preferably, the flexible band is longer than the length of the presser belt. The flexible band can therefore follow deformations of the elasticcross-members when bulky articles are disposed between the presser'belt and the conveyor.

The presser belt may comprise a plurality of elastic cross-members which normally are parallel to one another and which extend transversely with respect to the direction of movement of the presser belt; and the flexible band, when not engaging articles firmly with the conveyor, forms folds between the elastic crossmembers.

Preferably, the presser belt also comprises a second flexible band which is disposed on the side of the elastic cross-members remote from-the conveyor, the second flexible band being connected to the first flexible band by seams or other lines of fastenings which are parallel to and disposed between theelastic cross members so that each such cross-member is disposed in a tubular pocket formed by the flexible bands. I

Preferably, the two flexible bands are both longer than the length of the presser belt and can therefore follow deformations caused by the articles being conveyed.

The elastic cross-members preferably are secured at or near their centers to the flexible band system. The flexible bands can therefore be kept centered relatively ment for which the invention is of use;

FIG. 2 shows apart of a presser belt according to'the invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section on the line1IlI-'-III'ofFIG. 2;

and

FIG. 4 shows a vertical portion-.of-a conveyor provided with a presser belt according to the invention and which is conveying an article of luggage.

' The conveyor arrangement shown. diagrammatically in'FIG. 1' provides vertical conveyance and comprises an endless conveyor 1, whichcan be of the endless belt or articulated plate kind, and anendless presser belt 2, the presser belt 2.andrthe conveyor lihaving parallel vertical parts 3 and 4,'respectively. The presserbelt 2 is so arranged that its part 3 can engage articles (not shown in FIG. 1) with the-conveyor part 4'so1thatsuch articles will be conveyed from a bottom horizontal run 5 to a top horizontal run 6 of the conveyor (raising) or vise versa (lowering). I

The presser belt 2 according tothe. invention, portions of which are shown in FIGS. '2. and "3,-'has elastic cross-members 7, e.g., extensiblerubber springs, whose ends 8-aresecured to parallel'e'dges 9-which are maintained parallel to one another and to the conveyor part 4. The cross-members 7 are: normally parallel to one another :and perpendicular to the direction of movement of the presser 'belt2. 'Thep'arallel edges 9 can be side drive chains.

The'presser beltlalso-comprises twoiflexible, e.g., plastics, bands: 10, 11 whichare disposedcon opposite sides of and extend substantiallythedistance between the elastic cross-members 7 .and-whichxare'interconnected by 'connexions .12, for instance, byesewing or stitching or welding, along lines whichcare perpendicular to the direction of the presser belt movementsand which'are disposed between the cross-members 7 i Each cross-member 72is therefore :idisposed in. a tubular pocket 13 which :extends' transversely with respect to the direction of presser belt movement.

The flexible bands 10, ll are-longer than the length of the presser belt and form accordion-like folds between the cross-members 7. The flexible band ll'is formed with apertures -14 along its longitudinal centerline, and the'central parts ofthe cross=members 7=zare :accessible'through'the apertures 14 andaresecured,

e.g., 'by knots'15, to a longitudinal elastic connecting "case'17, is raised or lowered on the conveyor 1, the

flexible band system 10,11 expands'within the limits permitted by its ofi-load folds, and beyond such limits the stretched cross-members 7 emergelaterally from the pockets, the knots l5 keeping the Below the articles 17, the cross-members 7 so press the band system 10, 11 that it follows the article shape intimately, thus preventing slip of the article on the conveyor part 4.

What We claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An endless movable elastic presser belt for firmly engaging with an endless movable conveyor the articles borne by said conveyor, said belt being disposed in part of its path substantially parallel to part of the path of said conveyor, said presser belt comprising two longitudinal edges maintained parallel to one another at a constant spacing, elastic cross-members disposed transversely between said longitudinal edges, and flexible band means substantially spanning said spacing and secured to said elastic cross-members between said elastic cross-members and said conveyor.

2. A belt according to claim 1, in which said flexible band is longer than the length of said edges.

3. A belt according to claim 1 which comprises a plurality of elastic cross-members which normally are parallel to one another and which extend transversely with respect to the direction of movement of said? presser belt; and said flexible band, when not engaging said articles firmly with said conveyor, forms folds between said elastic cross-members.

4. A belt according to claim 3, which also comprises a second flexible band disposed on said elastic crossmembers on the side thereof remote from said conveyor, and in which connecting means connect said second flexible band to said first flexible band along lines parallel to and disposed between said elastic cross-members whereby each of said elastic crossmembers is disposed in a tubular pocket formed by said flexible bands.

5. A belt according to claim 4, in which said flexible bands are both longer than the length of said edges.

6. A belt according to claim 4, in which said elastic cross-members are secured adjacent their centers to said flexible bands.

7. A belt according to claim 6, in which said second flexible band has apertures aligned along its longitudinal center-line, said centers of said elastic crossmembers being accessible through said apertures, and said elastic cross-members being secured to a longitudinal elastic connecting member disposed on said second band on the side thereof remote from said elastic cross-members.

8. An assembly comprising an endless movable conveyor and an endless movable elastic presser belt according to claim 1. 

1. An endless movable elastic presser belt for firmly engaging with an endless movable conveyor the articles borne by said conveyor, said Belt being disposed in part of its path substantially parallel to part of the path of said conveyor, said presser belt comprising two longitudinal edges maintained parallel to one another at a constant spacing, elastic crossmembers disposed transversely between said longitudinal edges, and flexible band means substantially spanning said spacing and secured to said elastic cross-members between said elastic crossmembers and said conveyor.
 2. A belt according to claim 1, in which said flexible band is longer than the length of said edges.
 3. A belt according to claim 1, which comprises a plurality of elastic cross-members which normally are parallel to one another and which extend transversely with respect to the direction of movement of said presser belt; and said flexible band, when not engaging said articles firmly with said conveyor, forms folds between said elastic cross-members.
 4. A belt according to claim 3, which also comprises a second flexible band disposed on said elastic cross-members on the side thereof remote from said conveyor, and in which connecting means connect said second flexible band to said first flexible band along lines parallel to and disposed between said elastic cross-members whereby each of said elastic cross-members is disposed in a tubular pocket formed by said flexible bands.
 5. A belt according to claim 4, in which said flexible bands are both longer than the length of said edges.
 6. A belt according to claim 4, in which said elastic cross-members are secured adjacent their centers to said flexible bands.
 7. A belt according to claim 6, in which said second flexible band has apertures aligned along its longitudinal center-line, said centers of said elastic cross-members being accessible through said apertures, and said elastic cross-members being secured to a longitudinal elastic connecting member disposed on said second band on the side thereof remote from said elastic cross-members.
 8. An assembly comprising an endless movable conveyor and an endless movable elastic presser belt according to claim
 1. 